During 2010, The Hawkhurst Community Partnership was involved in a number of events celebrating the centenary of the OXO cube, culminating in a cookbook featuring recipes from local residents, local producer profiles and information on the beautiful High Weald Countryside that we are fortunate enough to live in.
The online version has extended producer profiles, details on farmer markets and additional recipes. If you would like to submit a recipe for inclusion, please contact us using the link above. You can also download a PDF of the complete book using the link above.
The Cookbook was launched in December at Jempsons and residents were able to collect a FREE copy from Jempsons, Hawkhurst Library, Hawkhurst Parish Council Office on The Moor, Kino Hawkhurst and a variety of other outlets in and around the area.
Many residents and producers in the area submitted recipes; the Prize for the winning recipe – Dinner for 2 at the prestigious Thackeray’s Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, with a menu personally designed by Celebrity Head Chef Richard Phillips was won by Nicci Gurr with her recipe for Lamb Stifado.
The Hawkhurst Community partnership woiuld like to thank our funders for this project:
Premier Foods (OXO)
The Jempson Foundation
The High Weald Sustainable Development Fund AONB
Kent County Council
For further information, please contact Yolanda Laybourne (Co-ordinator) or Gary Pharo.
Charles Gunther took over the reins of OXO (then Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company Ltd) in 1895 and immediately embarked on a quest to bring the nutritional benefits of beef to everyone in the form of a product that could be sold for a penny. In 1910, masterminded from Gunther’s home in Hawkhurst (now St. Ronan’s School) the OXO cube was born and the product evolved to become one of the most recognised and well loved brands in the UK. You can read more about Charles Gunther and his involvement with Hawkhurst & Oxo here
Aside from the list of Local Producers above, the following links provide information on a broader range of food producers in Kent & Sussex:
Produced in Kent – Local Fresh Food and produce from KENT UK Garden of England and Farmers Markets, Kentish Fare and Food Hygiene
A Taste of Sussex – directory of Sussex food Producers
Grown in Rother – A directory of Producers and Farmers Markets in Rother
Introduction
100 years before snail porridge and nitrogen chilled egg & bacon ice-cream, when Gordon, Gary & Heston were mere glints in their great, great grandparents eyes, in the majestic surrounds of the Tongswood Estate (now St Ronan’s School) in Hawkhurst, a much lower profile gentleman was cooking up something that many of us take for granted and use in our everyday cooking – OXO.
Charles Gunther took over the reins of Oxo (then Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company Ltd) in 1895 and immediately embarked on a quest to bring the nutritional benefits of beef to everyone in the form of a product that could be sold for a penny. In 1910, the Oxo cube was born and the product evolved to become one of the most recognised and well loved brands in the UK.
Gunther was a true visionary and aside from the way he steered Oxo to become one of the world’s most universally loved and recognised brands , he also invested heavily in Hawkhurst, building its fire station, much of what is now The Cottage Hospital and was one of the area’s largest employers.
Today, Oxo is available in various forms: Cubes in Beef, Chicken, Lamb or Vegetable flavours; Concentrated Liquid in Beef, Chicken or Vegetable flavours and Low Salt Stock Granules in Beef, Chicken or Vegetable flavours
You can read more about Charles Gunther, here
Cooking and shopping has changed radically over the intervening 100 years
In this increasingly ‘always on’ world, most people do a main shop perhaps once a week, buying a combination of fresh, frozen, ready-made and often over-processed food that will last for the coming week in our fridges & freezers. Is it really cheaper to do this – and more importantly, is it good for us? The jury is probably out on both counts; certainly most research points to increases in sugar, salt and preservatives in food causing the rise in obesity, diabetes and more recently linking to heart disease and cancers.
Then we have the question of practicality; does a busy working parent have the time to prepare fresh meals every day? Realistically, probably not – but is there a middle ground; somewhere that means we can buy fresh, support our local producers and cook fresh meals without the additions of e-numbers?
When you next go through your fridge and throw away spoiled or out-of-date food, you are contributing to the incredible 8.3 million tonnes of food (source: WRAP) that is thrown away by households in the UK every year. Most of this waste is avoidable and could have been eaten if only we had planned, stored and managed it better. Less than a fifth is truly unavoidable – things like bones, cores and peelings; and bones aside these make excellent compost.
We throw away food for two main reasons; of the avoidable food and drink waste, 2.2 million tonnes is thrown away due to cooking, preparing or serving too much and a further 2.9 million tonnes is thrown away because it was not used in time. Further information can be found at www.wrap.org.uk
rea
35 years ago, I can remember going shopping with my Nan every day. She would buy her food fresh each day, cook the main meals and always bake something: bread, rolls or cakes. We lived next door to my grandparents, in semi-detached suburban houses that my grandfather had built. They were humble homes, with smallish (50ft) back gardens – but that seemed like a whole jungle by the time my grandparents and parents had planted their potatoes, beans, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, fruit bushes and salads. Any surplus was traded with our neighbours for apples, pears and cherries from the trees in their garden.
My own interest in food started in those back gardens and the surrounding sports ground and fields. I loved early summer days out to pick-your-own fruit farms, where my brother and I competed to see who could eat the most; late summer afternoons spent with my mum and Nan picking wild blackberries in the fields behind our houses, then back home to make jams and jellies to last through the winter. I loved wrapping up in hat and scarf, pulling on my wellies for autumn weekend walks in the local wood with my parents, collecting pretty leaves and sharks teeth, then gathering chestnuts to bring home and roast. I even recall with fondness the mixed emotions of walking cold and shivering back to the house having broken the frozen earth, and dug up the last of the potatoes
Back in the kitchen, naturally I was always willing to mix the cakes…because I got to lick the spoon when the mixture was finished. But simple tasks like planting, nurturing, digging up, washing, peeling and cooking vegetables, I believe, helped me to understand the journey that food goes through before arriving on my plate.
I can recall rushing home from school to see if my beans had grown another few inches that day (which helped me to understand basic maths at an early age) – of course I was always hoping to find a beanstalk that disappeared into the clouds. I can still taste the tomatoes that my grandfather tended to every day in his greenhouse – especially those that I had sneaked over the fence and ‘scrumped’ – and the punishment I got when caught gave me a clear understanding of right and wrong! It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I realised the animals I often was taken to see whenever I visited my other grandparents were in fact at the local abattoir waiting in line to be slaughtered! This made me realise that food and life intertwined in more ways than picking an apple from the tree, and also gave me an insight that life wasn’t eternal.
It’s such a shame that these simple – yet exciting, educational and life-affirming experiences are being lost on a generation who think that beef comes from McDonalds and vegetables come from the supermarket. It’s also worth remembering that in these challenging financial times, growing and harvesting your own or wild food is cheap, often great exercise and a fantastic source of family bonding.
I don’t blame the huge supermarkets for all the ills of the world – but in many ways to me they do represent the ‘I want it and I expect it now’ society. When you next go through your fridge and throw away spoiled or out-of-date food, you are contributing to the incredible 8.3 million tonnes of food (source: WRAP) that is thrown away by households in the UK every year. Most of this waste is avoidable and could have been eaten if only we had planned, stored and managed it better. Less than a fifth is truly unavoidable – things like bones, cores and peelings; and bones aside these make excellent compost.
So try growing your own or support your local farmers – visit farm shops and try buying the fruit and veg that is in season. Surely it makes ecological sense to buy vegetables that have been grown a few miles from your home, rather than those that have flown half way round the world to reach your plate.
Visit your butcher – it may be a little more expensive than the local supermarket, but they will give you so much more service and almost always much better quality and flavour – which in turn means you can use less.
Lately there has been a resurgence of looking back to traditional home cooked food, using locally sourced produce. By combining a little imagination and some traditional cooking methods, you can make in-expensive dishes using locally sourced produce.
This cook-book, whilst hopefully introducing you to some new dishes, also visits some family staples and shows how you can prepare from fresh, numerous family meals that can be made in bulk, frozen and used for days and weeks ahead.
Do try some of the recipes in this volume – we have given guides on using left-overs or cooking from fresh ingredients and we hope you will re-discover the joy and pleasure that can be found from a family growing food and then cooking and eating together.
Gary Pharo
Vice Chairman
Hawkhurst Community Partnership
Hints and Tips
This section includes:
Hints & Tips for reducing waste:
Dairy, Cheese & Eggs
Vegetables
Herbs,Aromatics and spices
Bread
Meat
Stocks
Fruit
Liquids and Alcohol
Salads
Cooking dried pasta and pasta portions
Buying fresh fish
General Freezer tips
Store-cupboard Essentials
Essential Kitchen Equipment
Eggs
Eggs can be frozen successfully, but only separately and try to label how many there are in each bag or container. Leave whites to thaw naturally. Yolks should be covered (in a container with a lid) and will keep for 4-5 weeks. Defrost and use yolks as normal in sweet and savoury dishes.
To test if eggs are fresh, fill a jug with water, place in your eggs. If your eggs float, throw them away; as eggs go off, they produce gas and this makes them float. If your eggs lay flat on the bottom they are fresh. If your eggs stand on end on the bottom, they are not quite as fresh but still ok to use.
Milk
Milk can be frozen, but like all liquids it will expand as it freezes, so first open and pour a little out to stop the top being pushed off when it expands.
Yoghurt
Marked down yogurt is often a tempting buy, but seems impossible to eat if close to the best before date. Mix yoghurt with any over ripe fruit such as banana and strawberries. Pour into lolly moulds and freeze, a healthier alternative to magnums and the kids will love them
Tubes of fromage frais made for children are actually easier to eat once frozen, kids love them as an ‘ice-cream’ they are healthier than ice-cream and half of it doesn’t get left in the wrapper.
Flavoured yoghurt is quite expensive – buy plain natural yoghurt and mix with left over pureed fruit for a perfect, cheaper end result.
Cheese
Cheese can be expensive, but is often cheaper when bought in bulk. The problem is it often sits in the fridge until un-usable. If you have any hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan grate into a tupperware container (or portion it into a number of small containers) and place in the freezer. Cheese will lose its texture when defrosted, but it can be used direct from the freezer when used as a topping, adding to lasagne, or mixed into a risotto.
Peel and parboil potatoes that are getting near the end of their shelf life then freeze them ready for roasting, thaw in the fridge and roast.
Keep potato peelings, wash thoroughly, sprinkle with salt, pepper, chilli or whatever flavour takes your fancy, drizzle with a little olive oil and pop them in the oven. Free crisps the kids will love!
If your broccoli’s a bit soft cut a thick slice off the bottom of the stalk, put into a cup of water and leave in the fridge overnight to crisp up.
Wrap vegetables and salads in kitchen paper then put them in plastic bags in the salad compartment of the fridge. The paper stops the condensation from softening the veg and stops mould.
Scrape/peel, top and tail carrots that are coming to the end of their shelf life, slice into rings or batons, pop into a plastic bag and freeze. They can be cooked from frozen.
It’s worth freezing herbs that you use regularly. Wash and dry them before freezing whole in freezer bags, or chopped in ice cube trays covered with water. Tip frozen cubes into a freezer bag ready for adding to soups, pasta sauces and stews. Label and store for up to six months.
Herbs with softer leaves, such as tarragon and basil, tend to discolour quickly. Don’t throw them away; finely chop and add to a bottle of normal olive oil, keep in the fridge for a week to allow the herbs to infuse then strain and discard the herbs. Pour the oil back into the bottle and use to grill fish, meats or to pep up a salad dressing.
Make up herb butters by chopping and mixing with soft butter and a little salt. Wrap in clingfilm in the style of a xmas cracker, twisting each end to form a cylinder. Place in the fridge to harden, then slice into rings and freeze. Use straight from the freezer to add flavour to simple grilled meat and fish.
Keep root ginger in the freezer and grate it as you need it from frozen. It lasts for ages and is much easier to grate from frozen.
Sliced bread, crumpets, muffins etc are perfect toasted direct from the freezer. Soft brown bread is sometimes difficult to separate when frozen, so either freeze in batches of 2 or 4 slices, or insert a piece of greaseproof paper between each slice.
If you buy French sticks or artisan bread, try freezing it and then place on a baking tray, wet your hands under a tap and shake the water over the tray. Pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes at 180 before serving…..it will seem like it has just been made.
If you defrost raw meat and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again, but remember never reheat foods more than once.
Buy in bulk from your butcher and freeze your meat in portions.
Only use a microwave to defrost if you are going to cook the meat immediately
Freeze any meat left over from a roast, like beef, pork and lamb to use at a later date. Defrost thoroughly before using, make sure it is heated completely through and only reheat once.
Buy bacon in bulk and freeze each rasher between a layer of grease proof paper inside a Tupperware container or freezer bag. The grease proof paper will let you easily peel off individual rashers easily. If desired, you can trim the fat from frozen bacon much easier than fresh, and they can be cooked direct from frozen
Cooking Pasta
1 adult portion of dried pasta is 100g (80g)
1 adult portion of spaghetti is 75g (60g for a child)
If you don’t have any kitchen scales, measure shaped pasta in handfuls. Two handfuls per adult or one and a bit per child is just right.
Pasta needs to be cooked in plenty of boiling salted water – there is no need to put oil in, but it does help to emulsify sauces to the pasta if you add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water back into the pasta.
Dried lasagne often states it can be used from dried, but it isn’t very pliable. If you boil it for around 5 minutes, it will soften enough to shape into a dish. If you do this, lay out the blanched sheets of pasta in a single layer on a damp, clean tea towel, otherwise they will stick together!
Cooking Rice
Use a measuring jug for rice and once you have the right amount for the number of people, you will need roughly twice the amount in water
1 adult portion of dried rice is 70ml
1 child portion of dried rice is 40ml
Older rice can lose some of its moisture, requiring more water and a longer cooking time than fresh rice. It’s always best to rinse your rice 2 or 3 times before cooking to remove excess starch which makes it stick. Once you have measured your rice, boil the kettle and add the required amount of boiling water, stir once but no more during cooking as stirring will release starch and make it sticky. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave white rice for 15 minutes, brown for 35. Use a timer if possible. Once cooked, turn off the heat, remove the lid and cover with a clean tea towel for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.
Always simmer stocks uncovered and check regularly to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface
If you have roasted a chicken, freeze the carcass. Once you have two or three, boil them up for a couple of hours with two or three pints of water, a few chopped celery stalks, onions, carrots, a bunch of parsley and a couple of bay leaves to make chicken stock. Measure into pint portions and freeze them to be used whenever you need it
When buying fish, ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish, then also to give you the bones – plus any spare they might have. Add water to cover the bones, a glass of white wine with some onion, carrot, leek, garlic, peppercorns, a bay leaf or 2 and parsley, bring to a simmer and then turn down to a low simmer for 30 minutes. Don’t stir, boil, or cook for longer than 30 minutes otherwise the stock will go cloudy. Strain through a fine muslin cloth to remove any small bones and freeze ready for use.
Use the shells of prawns, lobster or crabs to make an intense stock that can be used to greatly improve seafood dishes. In a little olive oil, fry your shells until they start to go bright red. Remove the shells and reserve, then and add carrots, celery, onion and fennel and sauté until soft. Add a small wine glass of brandy to the pot and reduce, then add a glass of white wine and reduce again. Return the shells to the pan, cover with water and bring to a simmer, turn down and cook on a very low simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine muslin cloth to remove any small bones and freeze ready for use. For a more intense flavour, reduce the strained stock until it has reached the desired level of consistency. Cool and freeze ready for use.
Buying fish:
Whole fish: Look for bright, clear eyes; the gills should be a rich red. Next look at the fish; it should look metallic and clean, if it has discoloured patches on it, it is marginal. Smell it; a fresh fish should smell like clean water, or even like cucumbers. Under no circumstances buy a nasty smelling fish.
Fish Fillets: Look for vibrant flesh, all fish fade as they age. If the fillet still has skin, that skin should look as pristine as the skin on a whole fish – shiny. Smell it; there should be no pungent aromas. Milky liquid on a fillet is the first stage of rot, so avoid.
Live Things
Many people dislike the idea of cooking shellfish live. It’s important to do so as all seafood starts to decompose rapidly as soon as it dies. Frozen or pre-cooked lobster, prawns, crabs etc are perfectly good alternatives as they are often cooked or frozen on the boats or as soon as they are landed. Also, lobsters and crabs will starve themselves in tanks and often can be almost empty if it’s been in a tank for a long time. If you do want to cook from live, the best way to choose a live fish or crab or lobster is to look for, well, life! Is it scampering around in its tank or swimming happily; or is it sulking in a corner or hanging motionless and panting? Go for the lively ones; avoid the tired ones!
Shellfish
Shellfish are sold alive, so they should react to you. Tap the shell; it should close tighter than it was. Oysters are a little tough to do this with, but clams and mussels will definitely react. If you do have any dead shellfish, they will not open after being cooked, so throw any closed shells away. If buying from a fishmonger, try and befriend them – they will guide you well so you come back
Prawns
This one is easy. Buy them whole and frozen and head on if possible because the shell protects the meat when being frozen without losing too much moisture, and head-on prawns stay moister.
Squid, Cuttlefish or Octopus
These are almost always sold to the wholesaler pre-frozen, so you should buy them frozen; they freeze exceptionally well. If you can buy fresh, apply the same basic rules as for fresh fish to determine how fresh they are.
Use left-over fish for fish cakes. Mix with left-over mashed potato, season well, add some chopped parsley (perhaps a few capers or a little pickled cucumber finely sliced): bind with a beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs, shape and fry over a low-medium heat until golden and cooked through.
As the saying goes ‘one bad apple spoils the barrel’; so keep an eye on your fruit, separate fruit which is ripening up more quickly than the others.
To get the maximum juice from lemons, limes or oranges, put them in the microwave for 10 seconds, then roll on your work top, pressing quite hard. You will be amazed at how much more juice you get and any extra can be frozen in ice cube moulds to use another time
If you have a glut of soft fruit such as strawberries, raspberries etc, lay them out individually on a tray and put into the freezer. When they are firm, put into bags – this will stop them becoming a big mush. They will break down when defrosting, but are perfect in sauces, ice creams, trifles and soufflés. Alternately, blitz soft fruit in a food processor or blender with a little caster sugar and then freeze.
If you have any leftover wine, freeze in glass sized portions in Tupperware, then remove and store in bags ready for use in sauces or casseroles. You can also fill an ice cube trays and just use 1 or 2 cubes to enhance gravy. White or rose wine ice cubes can also be used to keep your wine cold in summer – just remember to use the same frozen wine as you are drinking!
To freeze tomatoes, remove their stalks, put a small cross on the bottom and boil for 1 minute, then plunge into iced water and peel off the skins. Blitz in a food processor and freeze in sealed bags or Tupperware. Use in place of canned tomatoes in sauces, soups or mince recipes. Use direct from frozen into the pan when you would add the canned tomatoes.
If you are growing your own salads or veg, they will have insects and dirt on them. To clean thoroughly, place them in the sink or a bowl with cold water and add a couple of tablespoons of table salt. Leave the vegetables or salad leaves to soak in this for about 30 minutes. The insects will sink to the bottom of the bowl and you can then clean as normal.
Most home grown salad leaves as well as radishes, spring onions etc will wilt once picked. To revive and crisp up, place in a bowl of iced water for an hour or so.
A well planned and rotated freezer can be a godsend; it shouldn’t be used as a black hole.
Remember that liquid expands by 10% when frozen, so do not over fill containers – leave a 2.5 cm space in a 500ml container or a 1.5cm gap in a 300ml container. If you don’t do this, soups, sauces and fruits in liquids will push off their lids, once frozen.
Regularly check all the contents of your freezer – list it on a spreadsheet (paper would do) and then use this to plan your menus.
A good store cupboard will allow you to make the most of fresh ingredients and utilise left-overs. At a minimum try to have the following in at all times and regularly check the dates and use before they are past their best:
Dried goods and flavour enhancers – Malden sea salt, Oxo cubes and Bisto granules will give additional flavour and allow you to thicken sauces and gravies. Dried herbs and spices will enhance flavours further and reduce the need for salt. Dried pasta, long-grain, risotto and pudding rice, plus cous-cous and noodles all allow you to whip up quick delicious and nutritious meals. Flour (plain, self-raising, wholemeal and cornflour), sugar (white and brown), baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, yeast, dried fruit, nuts and seeds
Tinned products – tomatoes, baked beans, chick peas, kidney beans, tuna, corned beef, evaporated milk, coconut milk.
Oils & Sauces – A good selection of oils (olive, rape-seed, vegetable & groundnut), duck or goose fat, good quality malt, wine, cider & balsamic vinegar, mushroom ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, tomato puree, tomato ketchup, curry pastes, pesto, soy sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, marmite and sweet things such as jams, jellies and vanilla extract.
Fresh and frozen produce – ready-made pastry, cheese (parmesan, cheddar, mascarpone & goats) milk, cream, butter, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, peas, beans, bread, garlic, fresh root ginger, minced meat, chicken, fish, sausages, bacon, ice cream, fruit.
As a simple rule, try and buy the best you can afford, 2 exceptions….always buy the very best set of quality saucepans & knives you can afford; they will last a lifetime.
Pots & Pans – invest in a really good set of non-stick anodised saucepans, they will burn less, cook more evenly, clean easier, last longer and most will go from hob to oven. Add a large stockpot, good quality wok and a griddle pan for healthier and prettier frying of meat, fish & veg. Three good quality non-stick roasting pans of varying depth, one baking sheet, one good quality muffin/Yorkshire pan, one good quality casserole dish, set of ovenproof ceramic roasting pans, 23cm spring form cake tin, 23cm non-stick loose bottom tart/quiche tin, set of glass mixing bowls, set of plastic mixing bowls
Knives & Utensils – get the best set of kitchen knives you can afford – Global are fantastic but very expensive, Sabatier are a very good affordable range; with a good sharpener, they will last for life. A selection of slotted spoons, serving spoons, ladles, spatulas and whisks, kitchen scissors for poultry and fish, hand grater, large grater, fine metal sieve, colander, set of funnels, measuring jug, tin opener, veg peeler, 2 different sized sets of tongs, pastry brush, a set of 4-6 colour coded chopping boards (use separately for fish, veg, raw and cooked meat etc), set of baking beans. Where possible buy silicon utensils to avoid damaging your non-stick pots and pans.
Gadgets & gizmos – most are just not worth having, but invest in an oven and meat thermometer, a timer, a splatter guard (for simmering sauces and save hours of scrubbing), good set of kitchen scales, Jamie Oliver’s ‘flavour shaker’ (to crush whole spices and blend marinades), a blowtorch to finish dishes, a set of stainless steel rings (great for presentation and individual servings), individual silicon egg poachers (Eggs Benedict every Sunday!), a potato ricer (you haven’t had creamy mash until you have used one of these), a hand blender as well as a good quality food processor (shop around, some come with juicers).
Sauces
Stocks
Meat stock
Fish Stock
Shellfish Stock
Tomato Base Sauce
Bechamel Sauce
Bread Sauce
Windyridge Apple Sauce
Hollandaise Sauce
Windyridge Gravy
Always simmer stocks uncovered and check regularly to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface
Meat stocks
Ask your butcher for some bones chopped small (beef, lamb, game etc) for your preferred stock. If you have roasted a chicken, freeze the carcass and once you have two or three, use these. Take your bones and roast them at 180C for 30mins (poultry and game) to an hour (beef, lamb, pork) – skip this stage if using bones that have already been roasted. Thentransfer toa large pan add two or three pints of water, a few chopped celery stalks, onions, carrots, a couple of garlic cloves, a bunch of parsley and a couple of bay leaves and herbs of your choice. Bring to the boil then simmer for a couple of hours, cool and starin. Measure into pint portions and freeze them to be used whenever you need it
Fish Stock
When buying fish, ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish, then also to give you the bones – plus any spare they might have. Add water to cover the bones, a glass of white wine with some onion, carrot, leek, garlic, peppercorns, a bay leaf or 2 and parsley, bring to a simmer and then turn down to a low simmer for 30 minutes. Don’t stir, boil, or cook for longer than 30 minutes otherwise the stock will go cloudy. Strain through a fine muslin cloth to remove any small bones and freeze ready for use.
Shellfish Stock
Use the shells of prawns, lobster or crabs to make an intense stock that can be used to greatly improve seafood dishes. In a little olive oil, fry your shells until they start to go bright red. Remove the shells and reserve, then and add carrots, celery, onion and fennel and sauté until soft. Add a small wine glass of brandy to the pot and reduce, then add a glass of white wine and reduce again. Return the shells to the pan, cover with water and bring to a simmer, turn down and cook on a very low simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine muslin cloth to remove any small bones and freeze ready for use. For a more intense flavour, reduce the strained stock until it has reached the desired level of consistency. Cool and freeze ready for use.
Tomato base sauce
This sauce is a great way of using any over-ripe tomatoes or indeed using a glut of home grown. You will need this sauce for most of the minced meat recipes (lasagne, mousakka, chilli etc) found throughout the book. You should end up with around 3-4 litres of sauce, so you will need a big pan to prepare it!
4 tins of tomatoes
1kg of ripe tomatoes
1 jar of ready roasted and skinned red peppers drained and finely chopped
½ bottle of red wine
4-8 garlic cloves (depending on how much you like garlic) finely grated or chopped
2 large onions finely chopped
2 large carrots grated
I large leek halved, washed and finely sliced
2 sticks celery grated
Glug of olive oil
Tablespoon of tomato puree
Tablespoon of tomato ketchup
Tablespoon of mushroom ketchup
1 x OXO beef, 1 chicken OXO and 1 vegetable OXO cube dissolved in 2 litres of water
Sprig rosemary, thyme and oregano (or a teaspoon of each dried) couple of bay leaves
2 tablespoons of chopped basil
Seasoning to taste
1. Make a small cross on the bottom of each fresh tomato, lay them cross up in a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and roast at 160 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, discard the skins and chop (if they are very ripe, they may well have broken down naturally).
2. Meanwhile, grate the carrot and celery, chop the onions and leeks and put into a large saucepan with a good glug of olive oil. Sweat on a low heat for around 20-30 minutes until nicely soft, but with no colour.
3. Add garlic and herbs (except the basil) and continue to sweat on a low heat for a further 5 minutes
4. Turn up the heat to full, add the wine and reduce by about a third, then add tomatoes, chopped peppers, stock and tomato puree, tomato ketchup and mushroom ketchup , bring to a boil skim off any oil or scum that rises to the surface, then cook on a low simmer for 2-3 hours.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning – you may want to add a little sugar, discard the cooked herbs and add the reserved fresh basil.
6. The sauce can be cooled and frozen in batches or stored in the fridge for a couple of days.
Béchamel Sauce
You can simmer the milk with the onion and flavourings for 20 minutes, then cool before adding to the roux, but I prefer to simmer the sauce afterwards to infuse the flavours whilst the flour is cooking out. Either way, ensure you add cold milk to a hot roux or you risk burning the sauce. If you are planning on making more than 1 recipe that requires béchamel, you may need to double the quantities below:
600ml/1½ pints milk
1 onion
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
6 black peppercorns
55g/2oz butter
55g/2oz plain flour
grated nutmeg
1. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, stir in the flour, and cook over a very low heat for about 3-5 minutes – don’t allow the roux to colour.
2. After 3-5 minutes, start adding some of the cold milk. If you use a silicon whisk, you will achieve a smoother sauce and not damage your pan. Add a ladle of hot milk at a time and ensure the milk is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next ladle. After 3 or 4 ladles, the mix will start to become a sauce consistency.
3. Continue adding the milk in small quantities until smooth.
4. Add the onion & bay leaf studded together with the cloves, 6 peppercorns and cover with a circle of greaseproof paper to stop a skin forming.
5. Cook on a very low heat for 20 minutes to ensure the flour is cooked out. Leave to cool and remove the onion, season the sauce with salt, white pepper and grated nutmeg to taste.
6. The sauce can be cooled and frozen in batches or stored in the fridge for a couple of days.
Bread Sauce
A wonderful sauce to accompany Chicken, Turkey, Goose or cold meats
300ml Milk
150ml single cream
1 Onions
6 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
25g breadcrumbs
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
25g Butter
1. Bring the milk and cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the onion, cloves and bay leaf.
2. Set aside to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain into a clean pan.
3. Add the breadcrumbs & simmer for 2 minutes until thickened. Season with salt & cayenne pepper, taste and adjust.
4. Remove from the heat, and melt the butter on top, which will form a seal until ready to serve.
5. When read to use, gently heat through, mix the butter in and serve.
Windyridge Apple Sauce
So simple to make – so why buy it ready-made?
450g cox’s apples peeled, cored and cut into2 cm cubes
25g golden caster sugar
juice and zezt of half a lemon
pinch cinnamon
4 tablespoons water
Put everything in a pan – lid on, over a low-med heat for 15 mins, leave to cool and mix to a sauce consistency with a knob of butter
Serve on your Eggs Benedict, drizzled over warm asparagus or with grilled fish.
6 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 grated shallot
4 egg yolks
1 x 250g pack of unsalted butter
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
1. Reduce the vinegar over a medium-high heat with the shallot, peppercorns and bay leaf until there is only 2 tbsp left. Strain to remove the peppercorns and the bay leaf (you can leave the shallot in if you wish, but remove the bay and pepper)
2. Clarify the butter (Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over a low heat. Melt gently and skim off the froth from the surface. Slowly pour the yellow fat into a jug, leaving behind the milky residue)
3. Put the egg yolks and vinegar reduction in a food processor, turn on and slowly pour in butter with the motor still running. The sauce will start to thicken, if it gets too cold and splits stop, warm the butter before adding more. If it overheats and splits, add an ice cube.
4. Thin with a little hot water if the sauce is too thick
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice
A selection of bones (beef, game, poultry etc depending on your meat) chopped into small pieces
1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
1 leek peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick of celery peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped
2 x Oxo stock cube dissolved in 500ml of water (for chicken and pork add 1 Chicken cube plus 1 veg cube. For Beef, 1 beef and 1 veg cube. For lamb, 1 lamb and 1 veg cube. For game, use 1 lamb and 1 beef stock cube)
A few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1. Roast the bones at 180c for about 30 mins for poultry or game, an hour for thicker beef, lamb and pork bones, then transfer to a saucepan
2. Deglaze the roasting pan with a glass of wine (red for meat, white for poultry) then add to saucepan along with onion, garlic, celery & carrot
3. Cover with stock, bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
4. Turn down to a simmer, add bay leaf & thyme and leave for 2 hours, then strain.
5. When your meat has roasted and is resting, reserve the veg that you have roasted the meat on. Remove most of the fat from the pan, put it on a high heat, add a ladle of the stock, then scrape up all bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Strain this into your gravy and thicken with a tablespoon or so of relevant gravy granules. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.
Fish
Click on a recipe below to jump to that recipe
Smoked Salmon & Crab Roulade
Smoked Salmon & Prawn Terrine
Roasted Sea Bream with Pancetta
Tournedos of Wild Salmon Marinated in Maple Syrup and Star Anise
Rye Bay Scallops
Smoked Salmon & Prawn Terrine serves 6-8
A wonderfully decadent starter, perfect for a dinner party or Xmas dinner.
Ingredients
100g butter
75g mascarpone cheese
50g anchovies
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1.5kg of smoked salmon
500g cooked king prawns split in half lengthways
Method
1. Line a terrine dish with cling-film allowing plenty of overlap
2. Put your softened butter, mascarpone, anchovy fillets, grated lemon zest & dill, into a blende and pulse until combined, season with salt & pepper.
3. Start to make terrine by laying large slices of salmon into terrine ensuring they overhang the sides of the dish.
4. Spread a very thin layer of the butter over the base of the terrine, cover with prawns
5. Add another layer of salmon, butter then prawns and repeat to fill.
6. Once full, fold over the overlapping pieces of salmon, cover with cling-film, weigh down and refrigerate.
7. Once set, turn out and cut whilst still cold leaving on the cling film to help keep the shape (if you uses a serated knife dipped in hot water between slices, you will achieve clean cuts)
8. Serve with dressed salad leaves and finely sliced bread of your choice
Tournedos of Wild Salmon Marinated in Maple Syrup and Star Anise with Bok Choy Serves 4 Submitted by Holroyd Howe
Ingredients
4 wild salmon fillets,
skinned and boned
100ml maple syrup
2 pieces of star anise
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt and pepper
4 bok choy
Method
1. Mix star anise, maple syrup and soy sauce in a bowl
2. Place salmon fillets in the bowl and marinate in the fridge for 30 mins.
3. Slice the bok choy in half down its length sprinkle with sea salt and set aside
4. Remove salmon from marinade and place into a prewarmed frying pan, fry for 2 mins until golden brown, turn over then place into a oven at 150? for a further 5 mins, allow to rest.
5. Place the bok choy cut side down in a hot pan with a little oil and fry until wilted, remove. Add the
remaining marinade to the pan and reduce.
6. Place the bok choy cut side up on the plate, take your rested salmon and slice each piece into 3 and lay over the bok choy, drizzle reduced marinade around plate and serve.
Rye Bay Scallops Serves 2 Submitted by John Buckles
A taste of the sea which shows that sometimes, simplicity is the best policy. Pour yourself a cold Sauvignon Blanc to accompany…heaven!
Ingredients
4-12 Scallops
6 slices pancetta
300-500g rocket
75ml dry sherry
Unsalted butter
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
1. Fry the pancetta in a small amount of butter until crisp. Set aside & keep warm.
2. Wash & dry the scallops.
3. Add a pile of rocket to the serving plates.
4. Add a further small amount of butter to the bacon pan, fry the scallops (3 min a side) – set aside & keep warm.
5. Deglaze the pan with the dry sherry & reduce by half, adding more knobs of unsalted butter, season to taste.
6. Divide the scallops between the two plates.
7. Pour reduced juice over the scallops and rocket, crumble the crispy pancetta over the plate.
Vegetarian
Winter Warming Vegetable Curry
Vegetarian Cannelloni
Vegetable Stir Fry
Szechuan Spicy Aubergine
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Cooking Vegetables
Ways withPotatoes
Roast Parsnips, Vichy Carrots
& Puree of Root Vegetables
Cabbage with Shallots and Garlic
& Cauliflower Cheese
Eggs
Eggs, the original fast food – so many things you can do with them and here are a few:
Scrambled Eggs
Fried Eggs
Boiled Eggs
Poached Eggs
Omelettes
Hollandaise sauce
Quiche
If you like your scrambled eggs soft, melt a good sized knob of butter in a non-stick pan on the lowest heat. Meanwhile, crack your eggs (2 per serving) into a bowl and mix thoroughly – do not season as salt will start to break the egg down. Pour your eggs into the melted butter and stir continually with a silicon or wooden spoon. They will take 5-20 minutes to cook depending on how many portions you are cooking, be patient as this very slow cooking and stirring will result in a lovely creamy, soft, but perfectly cooked end result.
You don’t need a huge amount of oil to fry eggs; over a medium heat, put enough oil to cover the base of a suitable sized frying pan for the number of eggs you are frying. Crack in your eggs and allow the whites to set. Once set, transfer the frying pan under a hot grill for 1-3 minutes (dependent on how runny you like your yolks) to finish the tops.
Firstly, boil a kettle of water and pour the required quantity into your pan. Bring back to the boil and then lower your egg/eggs in carefully using a slotted spoon to avoid burning your fingers. Watch the clock, or get a timer, your timing should start when the water comes back to the boil after you put the egg in.
Soft Boiled
3 minutes – lightly-cooked white and a runny yolk. British guidelines state that those in vulnerable groups, ie, very young children, those who are pregnant and the elderly, should not eat this type of egg.
Medium
4½ minutes – solid white and a yolk that is starting to set, but is still a little runny
Hard Boiled
7 minutes – solid white and a solid yolk. To stop overcooking (and that nasty green edge to the yolk) cool immediately in cold water if you want to eat cold or are using later
We would recommend buying silicon egg poachers for simple, perfect shaped results every time. Grease the silicon poacher with a little butter, crack in yoor eggand carefully float on a pot of simmering water, cover with a lid and cook for 2-4 minutes until cooked to your preference. Otherwise, line a small glass or ramekin mould with clingfilm allowing plenty to overlap the rim. Crack in your egg and twist the clingfilm and knot to form a solid seal. Cook for 1-3 minutes until cooked to your preference, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper before snipping the knot with scissors and serve. For Eggs Benedict, serve on toasted, buttered muffins with a slice of ham and cover with warm hollandaise sauce.
Good at any time of day and so versatile – you can fill with cheese, meat, veg or whatever takes your fancy. Whatever you choose to use, make sure meat is piping hot before adding at stage 2.
3 eggs is normally enough for an adult, prepare your eggs as for scrambled and melt some butter in a suitably sized frying pan. When the butter foams, add the eggs and continually stir over a medium heat, until almost set. At this point, (stage 2) scatter with your chosen filling, leave to set for a minute, fold over and serve.
Hollandaise sauce
Serve on your Eggs Benedict, drizzled over warm asparagus or with grilled fish.
Ingredients
6 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 grated shallot
4 egg yolks
1 x 250g pack of unsalted butter
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Reduce the vinegar over a medium-high heat with the shallot, peppercorns and bay leaf until there is only 2 tbsp left. Strain to remove the peppercorns and the bay leaf (you can leave the shallot in if you wish, but remove the bay and pepper)
- Clarify the butter (Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over a low heat. Melt gently and skim off the froth from the surface. Slowly pour the yellow fat into a jug, leaving behind the milky residue)
- Put the egg yolks and vinegar reduction in a food processor, turn on and slowly pour in butter with the motor still running. The sauce will start to thicken, if it gets too cold and splits stop, warm the butter before adding more. If it overheats and splits, add an ice cube.
- Thin with a little hot water if the sauce is too thick
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice
Quiche
Real men don’t eat quiche….but they’d queue for bacon, eggs & cheese in a pie…which is really all Quiche Lorraine is! Substitute the bacon and cheddar for broccoli and goats cheese, or chopped courgettes, tomatoes, red peppers, goats cheese and olives for a Mediterranean twist.
Quiche Lorraine
Ingredients
I packet of ready-made shortcrust pastry
125g Cheddar, grated
125g Gruyere, grated
200g bacon lardons fried until crisp
3 eggs, beaten
250ml crème fraîche
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180c
- Roll out the pastry and line a 23cm well-buttered flan dish, then line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes, carefully remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for five minutes to cook the base. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature of the oven to 160c
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling by placing everything else (except 50g of the cheese) in a bowl and mix gently
- Fill the pastry case sprinkling the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling is set.
Poultry
Chicken Potato & Sweetcorn Soup
Chicken Casserole with Dumplings
Chicken Nuggets
Hainan Chicken Rice
Chicken & Mushroom Pie
Alternative Xmas Turkey
Chicken Broth
Chicken Noodle Soup
Thai Chicken Curry
Chicken Broth
This chicken broth recipe can be used as a base for a number of recipes and of course, any left over will make the very best chicken stock.
3kg chicken jointed into quarters skin on
Up to 1kg of Chicken bones from your butcher
2 large leeks washed and finely sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 large onions peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled & slightly crushed
2 sticks of celery grated
1 inch cube of fresh root ginger, peeled and bruised
4 sprigs of thyme
1 small sprig of rosemary
Handful of curly parsley including stalks
2 bayleaves
4 litres of water
2 chicken stock cubes
1 vegetable stock cube
6 black peppercorns
1. In a very large pot, heat a good glug of olive oil and add all the veg, cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the veg is soft
2. Add the garlic, herbs, ginger and cook for a further 3 minutes
3. Increase the heat and add the stock cubes and 1 litre of water, stir
4. Add the chicken bones, then the jointed chicken and cover with water (you may need slightly more than 4 litres depending on the shapr of the pot you are using, but make sure the chicken is covered with water
5. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour; check the liquid level and if needed top up with water every 15 mins and skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
6. After 1 hour remove the chicken pieces and leave to cool, continue cooking the broth.
7. Once the chicken pieces have cooled enough to handle (15 mins), remove skins and discard, flake off meat and reserve covered in clingfilm or in a tupperware container in the fridge and return the bones to the broth to simmer for another 2 hours.
8. After 2 hours, strain the broth through a fine sieve and leave to cool. When cold, any fat will form a hard crust on the top, which can be easily removed if you wish, although it does pack some good flavour!
Chicken Noodle Soup
For the soup, add 1/3 of the reserved chicken to 1 litre of the broth, bring to the boil, turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add your 100g of chosen noodles and cook according to packet instructions before serving.
Thai Chicken Curry with rice serves 4-6 people
You can make your own Thai curry paste, but it is difficult to source galangal and shrimp paste. There are some excellent ones available readymade in most farmshops & supermarkets and they will last for a long time in the fridge. Using a shop bought paste and livening it up with some fresh spices and herbs is a good option and speeds up the whole process, allowing you to create a meal in around 30 minutes.
2 shallots , or 1 small red onion finely sliced
1 stalk fresh lemon grass finely sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3-4 tsp Thai curry paste
4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
4 freeze-dried kaffir lime leaves
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
1 x pack fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped, stalks finely chopped
1 x red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
For the rice
4x shallots or 1 large red onion finely sliced
600g rice
Glug of vegetable oil
1 litre of chicken stock
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 cm cube of fresh ginger finely grated
¼ teaspoon of saffron strands (optional)
1. Wash rice thoroughly in water, drain in a colander and allow to dry a little.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan and fry sliced onion until golden, remove and dry on kitchen paper, leaving the oil in the pan.
3. Add saffron, garlic and ginger to the pan and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add rice and fry 5 minutes over a moderate heat, stirring continually.
5. Add hot stock, stir well.
6. Cover pan with a tightly fitting lid and cook over a very low heat for 20 minutes.
7. Check rice after 15 mins; if it looks dry add a little more liquid but do not stir rice.
8. When rice is cooked, remove from heat and stand, uncovered for 5 minutes.
9. Fluff up rice gently with a fork and place in a dish, then top with the reserved onions
10. Once the rice is cooking, start on the curry.
11. Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan for a couple of minutes until the oil separates (it looks more liquid at this point). Add the shallots or onion and lemongrass, turn down the heat and fry for 3-5 mins, until soft and translucent.
12. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 min, stirring all the time.
13. Add chicken pieces and stir until they are well coated in the paste.
14. Add the fish sauce, sugar, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk. Turn up heat, then bring slowly to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins until the chicken is cooked. Stir the curry a few times while it cooks, to stop it sticking and to keep the chicken submerged.
15. Taste the curry, add a little more curry paste and salt if you think it needs it.
16. Stir the chilli and half the coriander into the curry and sprinkle the rest over the top.
17. Serve with the rice
Beef
Beef recipes
Suet Layer Pudding Serves 4-6 Submitted by Anne Moore, Hawkhurst
Mrs P’s Steak & Kidney Pudding – feeds 4-6 – submitted by Maureen Pharo
Beef & Vegetable pie serves 4 Submitted by Pat Westgate
Lasagne serves 4- 6
Homemade Burgers
Spaghetti Bolognese serves 4
Chilli con carne serves 4 -6
Savoury Beef Cobbler serves 4-6
Bajan Pepperpot serves 6-8
Mrs P’s Steak & Kidney Pudding – feeds 4-6 – submitted by Maureen Pharo
I love my mums steak and kidney pudding as much today as I did when I was young. She would stew the meat on a Saturday afternoon and if we were lucky, we would get a cup of the cooking liquid at supper-time – which was almost as good as the pudding the next day. This was normally served with mashed potatoes, but these days, just some carrots or simply cooked cabbage suffices – feel free to serve with whatever you wish!
2lb of stewing steak cut into 1 inch cubes
6 lambs kidneys cleaned and cut into quarters
4 leeks, washed and sliced fairly thin
4 large carrots peeled and sliced into thin rounds
½ lb mushrooms wiped clean and cut into same size as carrots
1 can of Guinness
2 pints of water
2 beef Oxo cubes
2 tablespoons of beef Bisto gravy granules
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
8oz flour
4oz suet
Butter for greasing
1. Put everything (except the suet and flour) into a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then turn down and gently simmer for 3-4 hours.
2. Cool remove the herbs and leave in the fridge overnight.
3. Make the pastry by combining the flour and suet and then add enough water to combine, but add slowly to avoid the mix becoming too wet.
4. Roll out the pastry into a circle big enough to fit into a 3lb pudding basin
5. Cut out a 1/3 of the pastry for the lid, and then line the well greased pudding basin with the other 2/3rds.
6. Warm the stewed meat and then with a slotted spoon fill the pudding basin with the meat and veg and a little liquid. You will have some left over, keep warm and use this to serve with the pudding, or for use in another recipe if you prefer.
7. Cover the pudding with the pastry lid, then a circle of greaseproof paper and then some tented foil allowing for expansion.
8. Steam the pudding for 1 – 1 ½ hours and serve along with some of the reserved meat and gravy.
Spaghetti Bolognese serves 4
This is exactly the same meat sauce as for the lasagne (in the family cooking section) – if you are making together, add half again to each ingredient, otherwise, use half the ingredients and combine with 400g of dried spaghetti cooked to packet instructions.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lean minced beef (or left over roast beef finely chopped)
salt and pepper
1 tsp hot chilli powder and 1-2 fresh chilli peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped
400 ml base tomato sauce
2 x 450 g (1 lb) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan, mince and fry until browned, remove from the pan and reserve.
2. In the same pan, add the onion and fry for 5 mins until soft, then add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Return the meat to the pan, add seasoning and chilli powder and fresh chillies. Stir in base tomato sauce. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 mins
4. After 45 minutes, add kidney beans, cover and simmer for 15 mins, taste and if desired add some additional fresh and dry chilli to taste
5. Serve chilli on a bed of simple steamed rice.
Bajan Pepperpot serves 6-8
Pepperpot is a dish found in most restaurants in Barbados. It is a delicious spicy stew using some of the cheaper cuts of meat.
1lb of stewing beef cut into 1 inch dice
1lb of pork boned and cut into 1 inch dice
1lb of ox tail
1 inch of cinnamon stick
3 cloves
Tablespoon of brown sugar
Tablespoon of cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon of cassareep (available in West Indian Markets and some supermarkets)
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 scotch bonnet peppers finely chopped
2 large onions finely chopped
1 medium onion grated
1 stalk celery grated
1 large carrot grated
1 chicken and 1 beef stock cube
I packet of fresh basil
½ packet of fresh thyme
1. Mix the meat with a little olive oil the thyme, basil, cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves, black pepper, garlic, chopped scotch bonnets, cassareep and leave to marinate for 2-4 hours
2. In a very large pot, fry the grated onions, carrot and celery in a little vegetable oil until softened
3. Add all the marinade ingredients including the meat, cover with water add your stock cubes and bring to the boil.
4. Simmer uncovered for at least 4 hours until the meat is tender; remove the oxtail and separate meat from bone. Return the meat to the pot and discard the bones.
5. The dish is ready once the meat is tender, but in Barbados, this tends to be a continuing dish, left to go cold and reheated day after day (it must be bought back to the boil every time and boiled for 10-15 minutes).
6. Normally served as a soup, or thickened to a casserole and served with dumplings
Lamb
Slow Roast Lamb
Lamb can be quite chewy, which tends to put off children, so my preferred method for large joints of lamb is slow roasting. Many recipes for lamb include studding the joint with herbs and garlic; these can sometimes burn and or leave you with big lumps of plant and garlic in the meat which many people do not like. A 2kg leg will feed 4-6 people.
1 x 2kg leg of lamb
2 cloves of garlic
a small sprig of rosemary
good pinch of salt & pepper
4 tbsp of olive oil
the juice and zest of an orange
2 tbsp of apricot jam
2 onions peeled and liced into 1 cm rounds
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthways
4 garlic whole and unpeeled
1 x Lamb Oxo cube dissolved in 3-400ml of water
1 bottle of red wine
1. Take your leg of lamb and using a sharp knife cut lengthways just through the fat layer, try not to cut into the meat. Carefully separate the fat and skin from the meat, work out from the centre both ways until you have almost
removed the skin (you can ask your butcher to do this for you).
2. Blitz together 2 cloves of garlic, a small sprig of rosemary a good pinch of salt & pepper, 4 tbsp of olive oil, the juice and zest of an orange and 2 tbsp of apricot jam.
3. Paint this over the meat of the lamb with a pastry brush and then wrap the skin back over the lamb. Secure with string, drizzle with a little olive oil and place on a bed of onions, carrots and whole garlic cloves in a roasting tray.
4. Roast at 180? for 30 minutes, then turn down to 160? for a further3 ½ hours, basting every 30 minutes.
5. At the3 hour point, bring 3-400ml water, a bottle of red wine (less a glass for the cook!) and 1 OXO Lamb stock cube to a slow simmer in a saucepan.
6. Add this to the roasting pan and cook for a further hour.
7. Remove the lamb to a warm place to rest for 30-40 minutes, pass the juices from the pan through a strainer, cool
slightly and skim off excess fat, taste, season and if preferred, thicken with cornflour.
Pork
Sausage & Bean Supper
Gammon inBiddenden Monks DelightSpiced Cider
Fruity Pork Casserole
Fidget Pie
Slow Roast Pork Belly
Porketta with potato gratin
Sausage ‘Meatball’ Casserole
Porketta with potato gratin serves 4-6
This is a fabulous Italian style alternate Sunday lunch, made in 2 dishes in the oven. If you want it spicier, increase the amount of dried chilli. The potatoes will be crisp on the top and succulent underneath and will provide plenty of moisture along with the ready made gravy from the pan
1.8 kg boned pork loin, skin scored
1 x pack chopped fresh Sage
½ pack chopped thyme
½ pack chopped Rosemary
Heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds crushed
4 cloves Garlic, grated
8 tbsp Olive oil
1 small onion grated
Some dried chilli
50g pine nuts
50g of raisins
5 or 6 grinds of sea salt & black pepper
3 Onions, peeled and cut into 3 rounds
8 carrots peeled and cut in half
Large glass of good red wine (preferably Italian) and same amount of water
For the potatoes
500g Potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced
2 Onions, sliced
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chopped Rosemary
black pepper
300ml chicken stock, hot
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Lay the pork out, crackling side down. Mix together sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic, grated onion, nuts, raisins, olive oil, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Rub this thoroughly over the pork flesh. Roll up the meat and tie with string.
3. Spread the onions and carrots in the bottom of a roasting tin. Drizzle over some olive oil. Place the pork on top, skin side up and drizzle a little extra olive oil over the skin and season well with salt. Then put into the oven turning the temperature down to 180
4. Roast the pork in the oven for 30 minutes and then turn down to 160 and leave for a further 2 hours. After a further hour pour the wine and water into the roasting tray around the pork.
5. Meanwhile, layer the sliced potatoes in a shallow ovenproof dish with sliced onions, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper. Pour over the hot stock. Bake for an hour until the potatoes are tender.
6. Take the pork out of the oven place on a platter, remove the crackling and return this to the oven to crisp with the potatoes for 20 minutes on a separate baking sheet increase the temperature to 180. Cover the pork with foil and leave in a warm place to rest for 20 minutes along with the veg.
7. While the crackling and potatoes are crisping, pour the juices from the tin into a saucepan, then deglaze the tin with another small glass of wine and add to the saucepan – if you want more gravy, add some stock and thicken with cornflour if desired.
8. Serve the pork with the reserved onions & carrots, the potato gratin and the jus gravy.
Sausage ‘meatball’ Casserole serves 4-6
One of the beauty’s of going to the butchers is that you can buy a single item, so choose your favourite or a selection of your favourite sausages for this delicious and simple supper. Serve with noodles, spaghetti or mash as the fancy takes you.
Selection of sausages (3 sausages per adult, 2 per child)
2-3 onions, peeled, halved through the root and sliced fairly thin
2-3 cloves of garlic grated
200ml base tomato sauce
1 level teaspoon each of Oxo Beef & Chicken reduced salt granules.
1 veg and I lamb oxo cube dissolved in 300ml water
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180
2. Peel and slice your onions, then fry over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until they start to colour, add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds, then remove and reserve
3. Meanwhile, remove the sausages from their skin and form into golf-ball sizes, fry in a little olive oil to colour, then return the onions & garlic, add stock and base tomato sauce and bring to a simmer
4. Transfer everything to a suitable sized ovenproof ceramic roasting tray (the meatballs will stand proud of the sauce) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes before serving.
Game
It’s best to buy your game from your local butcher, farm shop or farmers market as they will know exactly when the animal has been killed and will normally prepare it so it’s ‘oven-ready’. They can also help with ideas and guidance for cooking the meat if you are unsure. Whilst most wild game has a season, frozen products are now available all year round and better than poorly handled fresh game. Game stock is difficult to find, but using a mix of beef and lamb Oxo cubes works splendidly.
Click the links below and the recipes will open in a new window.
Pot-roast Pheasant Serves 4
Wild boar with wild mushrooms and Hawkhurst Firecrackers from Park Farm Butchers
Rabbit braised in Cider
Venison Casserole With Beer
Sunday Lunch
General Roasting Tips
Roast Chicken
Roast Beef, Lamb &Pork
Slow Roast Pork Belly
Mrs P’s Steak & Kidney Pudding
Yorkshire Puddings
Windyridge Gravy
See theVegetable section for accompaniments
Mrs P’s Steak & Kidney Pudding – feeds 4-6 – submitted by Maureen Pharo
I love my mums steak and kidney pudding as much today as I did when I was young. She would stew the meat on a Saturday afternoon and if we were lucky, we would get a cup of the cooking liquid at supper-time – which was almost as good as the pudding the next day. This was normally served with mashed potatoes, but these days, just some carrots or simply cooked cabbage suffices – feel free to serve with whatever you wish!
2lb of stewing steak cut into 1 inch cubes
6 lambs kidneys cleaned and cut into quarters
4 leeks, washed and sliced fairly thin
4 large carrots peeled and sliced into thin rounds
½ lb mushrooms wiped clean and cut into same size as carrots
1 can of Guinness
2 pints of water
2 beef Oxo cubes
2 tablespoons of beef Bisto gravy granules
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
8oz flour
4oz suet
Butter for greasing
1. Put everything (except the suet and flour) into a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then turn down and gently simmer for 3-4 hours.
2. Cool remove the herbs and leave in the fridge overnight.
3. Make the pastry by combining the flour and suet and then add enough water to combine, but add slowly to avoid the mix becoming too wet.
4. Roll out the pastry into a circle big enough to fit into a 3lb pudding basin
5. Cut out a 1/3 of the pastry for the lid, and then line the well greased pudding basin with the other 2/3rds.
6. Warm the stewed meat and then with a slotted spoon fill the pudding basin with the meat and veg and a little liquid. You will have some left over, keep warm and use this to serve with the pudding, or for use in another recipe if you prefer.
7. Cover the pudding with the pastry lid, then a circle of greaseproof paper and then some tented foil allowing for expansion.
8. Steam the pudding for 1 – 1 ½ hours and serve along with some of the reserved meat and gravy.
Windyridge Gravy
A selection of bones (beef, game, poultry etc depending on your meat) chopped into small pieces
1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
1leek peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick of celery peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped
2x Oxo stock cube dissolved in 500ml of water (for chicken and pork add1Chicken cubeplus 1 veg cube. For Beef, 1 beef and 1 veg cube. For lamb, 1 lamb and 1 veg cube. For game, use 1 lamb and 1 beef stock cube)
A few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1. Roast the bones at 180c for about 30 mins for poultry or game, an hour for thicker beef, lamb and pork bones, then transfer to a saucepan
2. Deglaze the roasting pan withaglass of wine (red for meat, white for poultry)then add to saucepan along with onion, garlic, celery & carrot
3. Cover with stock, bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
4. Turn down to a simmer, add bay leaf & thyme and leave for 2 hours, then strain.
5. When your meat has roasted and is resting, reserve the veg that you have roasted the meat on. Remove most of the fat from the pan, put it on a high heat, add a ladle of the stock, then scrape up all bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Strain this into your gravy and thicken with a tablespoon or so of relevant gravy granules. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.
Desserts
We all need a little sweetness – some more than most! These recipes cover simple yetindulgent treats; enjoy
Summer Fruits in Carr Taylor Rose Sparkling Wine Jelly, Elderflower Syrup Serves 4
Sticky Toffee Pudding makes 6-8
Cherry Batter Pudding Serves 4 Submitted by Sarah Garrett
Apple and blackberry crumble Serves 8-10 – submitted by Simply ice cream
Poached Pears in Biddenden Red Wine Serves 4 Submitted by Biddenden Vineyard
Lighthouse Bakery Chocolate Bread makes 2 small loaves Submitted by Lighthouse Bakery
Sussex Pond Pudding Serves 4
Gypsy Tart Serves 4 Submitted by Jempsons
Profiteroles serves 4-6
Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake serves 6
Key Lime Pie Serves 6-8
Summer Fruits in Carr Taylor Rose Sparkling Wine Jelly, Elderflower Syrup Serves 4
This was the dessert course for the OXO Centenary Gala Dinner, created by Richard Phillips, prepared and served by St Ronan’s catering team from Holroyd Howe.
1 punnet of blackberries
1 punnet of cherries (deseeded and cut in half)
1 small punnet raspberries
1 bottle of Carr Taylor Rose Sparkling Wine
300g caster sugar
7 gelatine leaves (soaked in cold water to soften)
Elderflower syrup and vanilla cream to serve.
Dissolve the sugar in the wine over a gentle heat. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine and stir until dissolved, then pass through a fine sieve and allow to cool
Pour a little of the cooled jelly into your moulds, place the raspberries point down into the jelly and place in the fridge to set.
Then do the same with the blackberries and finally the cherries, adding some liquid jelly to each layer and allowing each layer to set. (you may need to warm the jelly to dissolve for each layer).
When all the fruit is in, fill the moulds to the top with jelly, cover with cling film and allow to set for 12 hours.
To make the vanilla cream, de-seed a vanilla pod, add the seeds to 200ml double cream and beat until thickened.
To serve, warm the moulds in hot water and turn out, garnish with elderflower syrup, and the vanilla cream and a strip of the vanilla pod.
Sticky Toffee Pudding makes 6-8
Ok, not an everyday pudding, but every now and then, this will put a smile on everyone’s face!
85g softened unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
225g soft medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
100ml dark rum
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon of mixed spice
150g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
For the sauce
300ml double cream
200g dark muscovado sugar
1 vanilla pod (split) or a teaspoon of vanilla extract
60g unsalted butter
50ml dark rum
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Butter 6 x 200ml individual pudding moulds.
2. Put the dates, rum and 100ml boiling water into a small pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, then simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dates are very soft. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and a pinch of salt into a bowl and mix together well. In another bowl, beat the softened butter and the sugar together for 5 minutes with a whisk until creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. You will now have 3 mixes; butter, sugar & eggs, the flour mixture and dates
5. Combine all 3 together a little at a time, mixing in each addition well before adding the next.
6. Spoon evenly between the moulds, smoothing the tops. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each pudding comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before serving (note, the puddings can be frozen at this point and used when required, just defrost and heat at 180 for 10 mins).
7. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce. Put the cream, sugar vanilla pod and butter into a pan and slowly bring to the boil. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the rum and cook for a further minute, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Pour the sauce over the warm puddings and serve immediately.
Cherry Batter Pudding Serves 4 Submitted by Sarah Garrett
A traditional Kentish style cherry batter, which pays homage to its classic French clafoutis origins. This dessert was probably introduced by the Normans and can be served with plain cream, ice cream or as here, by using the soaking liquor with crème fraiche to give a wonderfully sweet & sour flavoured cream.
250ml red wine
300g light brown caster sugar
500g cherries, pitted (can use frozen)
2 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
250ml double cream
50ml Cherry Liquor
50g plain flour
4 buttered individual ramekins (or I suitably sized buttered ovenproof dish)
To serve: 300ml crème fraiche
1. Place the wine and 200g of sugar in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Turn off the heat, add the pitted cherries and leave to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
3. Put the 4 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs in a large mixing bowl, add the remaining 100g of sugar and whisk together.
4. Add the cream and the cherry liquor, mix well and then gently fold in the flour. The mixture should look like a Yorkshire pudding batter.
5. Remove the cherries from the wine mix with a slotted spoon and divide into the individual buttered ramekins. Pour over the batter mix and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, put the wine mix back on a high heat and reduce by half, then cool completely.
7. Put your crème fraiche into a bowl and add 3 or four tablespoons of the cold wine mixture and a splash more cherry liquor. Fold through the cream to give a ‘ripple’ effect. Chill in the fridge until needed.
8. After 15 minutes check the puddings are cooked (leave for a little longer if need be)
9. Serve dusted with icing sugar and with a quenelle of the cherry ripple crème fraiche on the side.
Apple and blackberry crumble Serves 8-10 – submitted by Simply ice cream
Could there be more autumnal way to serve dessert on a Sunday?
10 large cooking apples
750g blackberries
pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of ginger
Crumble mix
300g plain flour
200g demerara sugar
200g butter
200g porridge oats
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of ginger
1. Slice apples into a large oven proof dish and mix in the blackberries, sprinkle cinnamon and ginger on top
2. Combine all crumble mix ingredients together and mix into a crumb like consistency, sprinkle over the top of the fruit and cook in a medium hot oven (180c) for 40 mins.
3. Serve with Simply Ice Creams Cinnamon or Vanilla ice cream.
Poached Pears in Biddenden Red Wine Serves 4 Submitted by Biddenden Vineyard
A light and delicious way to enjoy any firm pear
4 firm English pears
300ml Biddenden Red Wine
100g golden caster sugar
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1. Peel the pears leaving the stalks on
2. Place them in a suitable saucepan so they fit snugly
3. Pour over the wine, add the sugar and cinnamon
4. Gently bring to the boil, then simmer until tender all the way through (this can take anywhere between 15-30 minutes depending on the variety and ripeness)
5. Remove the pears and allow them to cool, then refrigerate to chill (this can be done a day in advance)
6. Reduce the cooking liquor until syrupy, cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. Serve cold with cream or vanilla ice-cream
Lighthouse Bakery Chocolate Bread makes 2 small loaves Submitted by Lighthouse Bakery
(Adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field) A fantastic alternative breakfast to shop bought ‘pain chocolat’; but delicious any time of day!
20g fresh yeast or 2½ teaspoons dried yeast
600g unbleached white bread flour
10g salt
30g cocoa powder
125g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
25g softened butter
250g plain chocolate buttons or bars broken into pieces
325ml warm water
1. Pre heat the oven to 220c
2. Combine the yeast, water and a generous pinch of the sugar in a bowl and leave to sit for 5-10 mins until bubbly. Add egg and butter to the yeast mixture
3. If using a stand mixer, place all the remaining ingredients in the bowl of the mixer and mix for 1 minute on a low speed with the paddle to combine. Add the yeast mixture and mix with the paddle until well blended. Switch to the dough hook and mix first on a low speed and then on a medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic – about 4 minutes in total.
4. If working by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix briefly with a spoon to blend. Then add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture in 3 batches, stirring well with a spoon between additions. Add the chocolate pieces last. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and let rise in a warm, draught free area until doubled in size – about 2 hours.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down. Divide into 2 equal peices and shape each into an oval. Place each oval onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a clean damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size – about 1 hour.
7. Place th baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 220c, then reduce the heat to 190c for an additional 25 minutes. Watch the loaves carefully during the last 5 minutes to avoid scorching the tops. Cool on a wire rack.
Sussex Pond Pudding Serves 4
225g Self Raising Flour
110g Shredded Vegetarian Suet
50ml Water
75ml full fat Milk
110g Cold butter – cubed
115g soft brown sugar
I large lemon
1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the suet and a pinch of salt. Mix well, then add a little of the water and milk. Start to mix together, adding liquid until the mix starts to come together.
2. Work the dough to an elastic consistency. Keep back a quarter of the pastry (for the lid) and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the rest to a round of about 25cm.
3. Grease a large pudding basin of around 11.5cm deep well with butter and line the pudding basin with the round of pastry bringing it to just above the rim of the basin.
4. Place half of the butter and soft brown sugar into the suet lined basin. Prick the lemon with a fork and place on top of the sugar and butter in the basin, then add the remaining butter and sugar around the lemon.
5. Roll out the reserved pastry to form a lid, Moisten to top of the lining and the edges of the pudding lid, place the lid over the pudding and pinch together well to seal. Trim of any excess pastry.
6. Cover the pudding with a double sheet of foil, form a pleat across the middle to allow for expansion. Tie in place with kitchen string
7. Steam for three to three and half hours. Check the water regularly and top up when needed to stop it boiling dry.
8. When cooked, remove carefully, place a serving plate on top of the pudding and turn the pudding and plate over, then gently lift off the basin. Serve hot with single cream.
Gypsy Tart Serves 4 Submitted by Jempsons
6” – 7” Pastry Case – available ready baked
170g Tin of Evaporated Milk
200g Dark Brown Sugar
1. Warm pastry case in oven at 200c
2. Whilst warming pastry case whisk evaporated milk and brown sugar together until a thick consistency – should flow and resemble softly whipped cream.
3. Pour mixture slowly into pastry case when warm, and then put back into oven for 3 minutes until set
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool, serve at room temperature.
Profiteroles serves 4-6
I love profiteroles, and this recipe (which makes around 20-25 balls) should feed 4-8 people depending on the sweetness of their teeth! The French use profiteroles in a traditional wedding cake called croc-en-bouche (literally: cracks in the mouth), if you fancy a crunchy treat, just melt some sugar in a dry pan until it caramelises and let it cool slightly before pouring over, or use it to stick the balls together – be careful though as its very hot and sticks to skin!! :
For the choux buns
100g unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
150g plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
4 medium Eggs, beaten
For the filling
300ml double cream, whipped and flavoured how you like – I like to divide the cream into 3 and use brandy, baileys and amaretto so each ball has a different flavour, but feel free to use whatever flavouring you like.
For the chocolate sauce
250 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids broken into pieces
50g unsalted Butter
3 tsp golden syrup
3 tbsp double cream
1. Switch the oven on to 180C and lightly grease two baking sheets with butter and line each with greaseproof paper
2. Put the butter and 250ml water in a saucepan, bring to a bubble, then remove from the heat.
3. Tip the flour, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt, into the butter and water, beating at the same time with a wooden spoon: it will start looking like a massive glob of roux at this point.
4. Keep beating away until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and goes into a ball. It’s important to beat it well until its lovely and glossy and smooth
5. Now mix the eggs together in a separate bowl and beat them into the mix a little at a time, until well blended – mix for a couple of minutes. As I’m fussy, I tend to give the mix another minutes beating with a whisk to get it really smooth and glossy.
6. Then using a piping bag or two teaspoons, form the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Sprinkle a little water onto the baking sheets (wet your hands and let this drip on, it adds some steam and seems to work well!)
8. Bake the choux balls for about 45 minutes – check up on them after 30. If they’re golden, puffed and crisped, then they’re ready.
9. Transfer them to a wire rack, then slice them almost half way through, to allow the steam out. You don’t want them chewy.
10. If you want them extra crispy, return to the switched off oven and leave them in for 5 mins as the oven cools down.
11. I find they are best used straight away, but you can store them in a tin for a day or two, or in the freezer for up to a month – but if doing this, they will go slightly soggy, so pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to make sure they’ve crisped up.
For the sauce:
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then mix in the butter, golden syrup and cream, and remove from the heat. This can be reheated – just put it back over the water pan.
To serve:
Whip the cream into soft peaks, then stuff or pipe a blob into each profiterole. You can flavour the cream with whatever takes your fancy – brandy, rum & amaretto all work for me (seperately of course as it adds a nice twist to have different flavours) Serve them doused with the chocolate sauce
Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake serves 6
You can either make 1 large or 6 individual cheesecakes from this mix. If making a single cheesecake, use a 23cm springform tin. If making individual servings, line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and use 4 inch diameter stainless steel rings available in all good cookshops.
400g raspberries
500g mascarpone cheese
200g white chocolate coarsely grated
100ml whipping cream
Icing sugar to taste
150g digestive biscuits
75g butter
1. Melt the butter and whilst it’s melting put the biscuits in a food bag and crush with a rolling pin to a fine breadcrumb texture.
2. Combine butter and biscuits and spread evenly in your chosen dish or dishes
3. Blitz the raspberries in a food processor and then push through a fine sieve to remove the pips – it will take some time, but is worth it.
4. Combine the raspberry puree with a teaspoon of icing sugar, the whipping cream and mascarpone cheese, add 2/3rds of the white chocolate and combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
5. Spread the mix over the top of the biscuit base, sprinkle the remaining grated chocolate over, cover with clingfilm and leave to set in the fridge for 6 hours to a day.
6. Serve with some fresh raspberries
Key Lime Pie Serves 6-8
Key Lime pie is a traditional dessert made in Florida from ‘Key Limes’ a variety typical of the area. Traditionally made with a pastry crust and baked, this version is simpler, quicker and gives an end product that is akin to a cheesecake. Delicious on its own or served with a drizzle of cream.
375g chocolate digestive biscuits, crushed very finely
100g unsalted butter
Grated zest and juice of 5-6 limes
300ml double cream
1 x 397g/14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the crushed biscuits. Lightly press into the base of a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Place in the freezer to set whilst preparing the filling
2. In a large bowl, mix the lime juice, cream and condensed milk. Whisk for 1 minute until it starts to thicken, then add the lime zest and lightly stir.
Pour onto the chilled base and chill for 3-4 hours in the fridge. This can be prepared the day before – if so, place on a tray with a larger ring around the outside to protect the top of the pie before covering with clingfilm.
Producer Profiles
Click on the producer name for their profile, if they have a website, click on website link which opens in a new page
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Alsop & Walker Mayfield Cheese 01825 831810 website |
Aragon Yarns Sissinghurst Wool 01580 714400 website |
Arena Gold Flimwell Fruit Juice 01580 879614 website |
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Biddenden Vineyard Biddenden 01580 291726 website |
Bosney Farm |
Busters Farm Produce Salehurst Butcher 01580 882020 website |
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Carr-TaylorVineyard Westfield 01424 752501 website |
Colonnade Produce Hawkhurst Greengrocer 01580 753816 website |
D G Woods Hawkhurst Butchers 01580 753238 website |
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Dallaway Cherries Northiam Fruit 07905 671114 website |
David Budd of Stevens Farm Hawkhurst Fruit 01580 753341 website |
Harrington Foods/ Benenden Sauce Benenden Salad Dressings 01580 240203 website |
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Hartley Dyke Cranbrook Farm Shop 01580 712546 website |
Hinxden Farm Benenden Dairy 01580 240685 website |
Home GURR-own Cranbrook Prepared foods 07747 816541 website |
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John Botterell Rye Fish 01797 222 875 website |
Lightfoot Alpacas Hawkhurst Wool 07802 263589 website |
Lighthouse Bakery Bodiam Artisan Bakery 01580 831 271 website |
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Little Orchard Preserves Benenden Preserves, Jams & Pickles 01580 241 809 website |
Maynards PYO Ticehurst Fruit 01580 200394 website |
Northiam Dairy Northiam Dairy 01797 252445 website |
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Orchard Farm Shop Hurst Green 01580 860501 website |
Park Farm Butchers Hawkhurst Butcher 01580 753558 website |
Ringden Farm Etchingham Fruit Juice & Farmshop 01580 879385 website |
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Sandhurst Farm Shop Sandhurst 01580 850890 website |
Sandhurst Vineyard Sandhurst 01580 850296 website |
Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard Sedlescombe 0800 980 2884 website |
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Simply Ice Cream Ashford Ice Cream 01233 720 922 website |
Simpsons / GOUPIE Hawkhurst Confectionery 05603 140116 website |
South Coast Fish Friday and Saturday at Hartley Dyke Farm Shop 07866 741288 website |
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Taywell Farm Shop Goudhurst Farm Shop 01892 835555 website |
The Weald Smokery Flimwell Smoked Fish, Meat & Cheese 01580 879601 website |
Traditional Cheese Dairy Stonegate Cheese 01580 201610 website |
